Blood Red Road (ARC)

Author: Moira Young
Genre: Young Adult – Dystopian
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 512
Date Scoot Read: May 2011
Source: eGalley from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

Scoot's Rating: 9- Great read! Couldn’t put it down.

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.

Scoot’s Review:
For Saba her whole world revolves around her twin brother Lugh. Lugh is the kind, handsome and strong one – and she is his dark shadow. When tragedy strikes and they are ripped apart from each other Saba knows nothing else matters except finding her brother. On an epic journey across a post-apocalyptic land Saba is in a dangerous race against time to save her beloved Lugh. This story pulled me in hook, line and sinker. It was a fast paced, intense read that left me wanting more. I was intrigued by the plot and the alternate dystopian world that was presented. The novel felt like a blend of elements from Gladiator, Hunger Games, Dune and more. I am a sucker for strong sibling relationships and this book had both ends of the spectrum; the beloved twin brother and the younger despised sister. It was interesting to see how the sibling’s relationships changed and strengthened over time. Saba was a strong character who knew what she wanted and didn’t let anything stop her. Survival and saving her brother were her only priorities. Yet, even with her rigid personality, you see Saba bend and developed into a better and stronger person. The characters in the novel were unique and well developed. The only real issued I had with this book was the writing style. What they call “a poetically minimal writing style” was difficult for me to read. I have read novels before that were written in a format matching the education level/dialect of the characters in the story but this one had me constantly tripping. It felt overdone and would often pull me out of the story instead of pulling me in deeper, which was to the story’s detriment. However, despite the language barrier in this novel the story pacing was excellent. I loved the romance and relationships built in the novel. Blood Red Road is a balance of heartache, tragedy, romance, adventure and courage. If you enjoy dystopians make sure to add this one to your list!